title: Changes in CD8 cell subpopulations induced by antiretroviral therapy in human immunodeficiency virus infected patients.
abstract: Although CD4+ T cells are the main target of HIV infection, CD8+ cells also play important roles in the interaction between HIV and the host immune system. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of anti-HIV therapy on the relative proportion of some important CD8+ cell subpopulations. Five HIV-infected patients were enrolled, and blood samples were collected several times, within 90 days from the initiation of therapy. CD4+ cell count and HIV viremia were investigated, as well as the expression of CD38, HLA-DR, CD28, CD57, CD30, CD95 molecules on CD8+ cells. A complex remodeling of CD8+ cell subpopulations took place between week 2 and week 7 of treatment. This remodeling mainly consisted of: i) decrease of CD8+CD38+ and CD8+DR+ cells; ii) increase of CD8+CD28+ cells; and iii) decreased expression of the CD95/Fas molecule on CD8+ cells. Overall, these findings suggest that effective anti-HIV therapy induces changes of CD8+ subpopulations showing the reversal of the state of chronic activation that is caused by viral replication.
authors.affiliation: Service of Clinical Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Ancona Medical School, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Silvestri
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Munoz
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Butini
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bagnarelli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Montroni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002452:Cell Count; D016049:Didanosine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D014766:Viremia / Q000097:blood; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D012367:RNA, Viral; D015215:Zidovudine; D016049:Didanosine